CEA Selects Seven To CE Hall Of Fame

Staff -- TWICE, 1/29/2001

LAS VEGAS - The Consumer Electronics Association inducted seven more industry pioneers to its Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award honoring Kenwood's Bill Kasuga, during CES.

Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame honors these leaders whose creativity, persistence, determination and magnetism helped to shape an industry and make the consumer electronics marketplace what it is today, according to CEA.

Following is a list of the inductees for the class of 2001.

Emile Berliner (1851-1929) Berliner invented the gramophone, which provided the technology for recorded media in quantity, and introduced the successful "His Master's Voice" marketing campaign.

Sir John Ambrose Fleming (1849-1945) Fleming was the British scientist whose invention of the diode, or Fleming valve, in 1904 revolutionized radio telegraphy.

Hugo Gernsback (1884-1967) Gernsback is credited as the founder of American science fiction, was the editor of Modern Electrics, founded radio station WRNY, and was involved in the first TV broadcasts.

Peter Laurits Jensen (1886-1962) Jensen developed the first commercially available moving-coil direct-radiator loudspeaker and created the first speaker system designed to match the first car radio.

Earl 'Mad Man' Muntz (1917-1987) Muntz developed the first car stereo, a 110-volt system that was powered by the car's battery. He also invented the Muntz Stereo-Pak 4-track system, a forerunner of the 8-track.

Alexander Poniatoff (1892-1980) The founder of Ampex, which developed the first video tape recorder, Poniatoff was a leader in audio and video recording, magnetic tape, digital and analog data handling, and sophisticated memory products.

George Westinghouse (1846-1914) Westinghouse developed alternating current for light and power, filed more than 360 patents, and founded 60 companies, including Westinghouse Electric Corp.

These seven pioneers are in addition to the inaugural class of 50 Consumer Electronics Hall Of Famers who were announced at last year's CES. In-depth profiles of each inductee can be accessed at www.CE.org.

In addition, Bill Kasuga, former chairman of Kenwood USA, has been presented with the CEA Lifetime Achievement Award. Kasuga co-founded Kenwood Electronics in 1960 as a distribution company for a Japanese consumer electronics manufacturer.

In 1975, the company changed its name to Kenwood USA, and in 1993, as the firm reached the $500 million sales mark, Kasuga was named chairman. In 1995 he resigned as chairman but retained membership in the executive committee. Today Kasuga serves as adviser to the president.